Digital Destiny
by Teefa and Co
Summary: AU, slight Xoverparody of Digimon 3. When Rutee rescues a Renamon from certain death, she ends up in a quest to save a new world from destruction, and to tell her beloved how she really feels. SR COMPLETE
1. Kitsune From the Past

Kitsune From the Past  
  
Rutee was taking a walk one day, hunting some of the monsters that still plagued the roads and fields between the towns. Not only did it net her the money and Lens she needed to pay for the upkeep of the orphanage, but the battles would clear her head. She forgot about her troubles, not being able to save her father and brother, and the dilemma of how to tell Stahn how she felt.  
  
It had been a whole year since the final battle with Kronos. Towns were all rebuilding and/or moving locations to better suit what needed to be done. People were all getting over the shock, and trying to go on with their lives. Rutee was trying her best to do that too, but it was hard sometimes. So much grief had visited her in such a short period of time, that she found it hard to bear the whole load by herself. But she didn't dare tell anyone, it wasn't one of those problems that you could just say "poof", and make it disappear. She needed to work it out on her own.  
  
Suddenly, she heard a call for help. Rutee turned her head, and saw some monsters had ganged up on someone. The person looked like she couldn't hold them off much longer.  
  
A flame of rage struck Rutee in the heart. She charged for the monsters at top speed. They were surprised by the interruption in their attack, and soon fell to her sword.  
  
"Are you ok?" asked Rutee, "If you're hurt, I have some Lemon Gels in my backpack. Do you need any help getting. . ." but she stopped short. For when she had turned to look at the person she had saved, she didn't see a person. Instead, she saw a yellow humanoid fox with blue eyes, with black where the white part should be. A blue squiggly line was under her eyes, and her ears were more cone shaped and longer than a normal fox. Her feet - - and part of the way up her legs - - belly, and hands were white, as was the tips of her ears and tail. On her arms, the creature wore two large purple arm guards, with a black and white Yin-Yang symbol on each.  
  
"Do not be afraid at my new form. It is that of one of the Digimon that inhabits the Digital World. To be exactly precise, I am a Renomon," she said.  
  
The voice sounded vaguely familiar to Rutee. It was like one she had heard for years, always there to chide her when she was getting into trouble, but the first to praise her when she accomplished something good. But she couldn't put her finger on it at the moment.  
  
The voice continued, "Rutee, you must listen closely. I know how independent you are, but I must become your partner. The whole Digital World is in danger, and needs a hero to come and save it. You are the chosen one, heiress to a long line of Guardians."  
  
Rutee looked shocked. "Guardian, me!? The only thing I'm Guardian of is a group of children in an orphanage. How can I protect a whole world by myself?"  
  
"I'll be with you, mistress," the Kitsune stated, "That's how it's always been for ages. A Guardian of the Katrea family fighting alongside a Digimon partner."  
  
"My family has done this for years? How come I was never informed?" Rutee inquired. Even though she didn't have a family, she was sure Atwight would have known something like this. How could her loyal friend have kept this destiny from her for so long?  
  
Renomon told her, "I'm sorry. I guess I should have told you this. But I was trying to protect you from your own past. Then when you found it, I didn't want to burden you with another destiny at the same time. Well, I would have told you afterwards, if Fate hadn't stepped in and thrown a monkey wrench into the whole plan, so to speak."  
  
Now Rutee was confused. "Not you Renomon. I never knew my family, but I had a dear friend, who was my Guardian, sometimes even like a mother. At my mother's request, she watched over me and protected me. She's the one who should have told me."  
  
"You and I are both correct," she confessed, "You see Rutee, I am Atwight reborn into the body of this creature, due to a safeguard placed on all the Swordians."  
  
Now Rutee was able to place the voice she recognized with that of her old friend, mentor, and somewhat mother, Atwight. She found that it matched perfectly. It was hard not to hold back tears of joy, and finally she decided just to let herself cry.  
  
"You don't have to cry, I am just happy to be able to protect you once more," Atwight told her. Rutee whispered, "I'm happy too. You're the only family I have left. I've thought of you as a mother for some time now. After all, you took care of me like one."  
  
Atwight smiled. "And I thought of you as my daughter. You know I could never have a child of my own as a Swordian. So I always thought of my masters as my daughters."  
  
"How long have you been in my mother's family?" asked Rutee, "I know my mother wielded you, and I wielded you, but how far back do we go?"  
  
"A long way, young mistress. I've been the Katrea family's protector for many hundreds of years now. Ever since the ports to the Digital World opened, and they became the Chosen Guardians of the Digital World," Atwight said.  
  
Rutee inquired, "What do you mean by 'Chosen Guardians?' As I said before, I'm just a swordswoman who uses her powers to protect a few kids. How can I save a whole world myself?"  
  
Atwight looked her mistress strait in the eye. "It might be hard at first, and you might lose hope. But you are the only one who can take on this formidable task. Let me tell you the story of the Digital World, and the Katrea family of Guardians."  
  
- - - -  
  
I got this idea solely from watching the third season of Digimon. Sometimes, I like to pretend the characters in the show are characters from RPGs, or other shows (I do it with RPGs too, I've lost count of the number of characters I've named Stahn and Rutee). In this one, I had Stahn being Takato, and Rutee being Rika. Since I like those two as a couple (trivia fact, D3 is one of the only shows where I have a preference couple, but don't mind if the fic has those two with other people), I thought, "what if that really was Stahn and Rutee." That and the fact that Rika has the same independence streak and sharp tongue as Rutee. 


	2. Family of Guardians

Family of Guardians  
  
"It all started 800 years ago," began Atwight, "I was awoken by a creature called a Gomamon, who had gotten through a rift in between the two worlds. He was looking for someone who could help him save his home from destruction. I agreed to help, and together we began to search for a human who could wield me an help Gomamon with the strategic element of battles. . ." ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
"Will we find a human who can help in this town?" asked Gomamom. A Digimon with a seal-like body and a neck and head like a human, he was white, except for some purple stripes and spots on his flippers, back face, and ears, as well as his red mohawked hair. He picked Atwight back up in his mouth, and continued to walk through town - - or what could be considered walking for him.  
  
Atwight assured him, "If you just have patience, you will eventually find the human who will help. Just keep out of sight until we see someone who seems to like animals a lot."  
  
Just then, they witnessed a teenage girl fighting off a group of bullies. They were picking on a smaller girl, who was about ten. In the smaller girl's lap, was a Nyaromon - - a yellow cat's head with a tail that had some purple stripes on it, and big brown eyes. Both girls had long black hair and violet eyes. The little girl's hair was in pigtails, while the older girl wore a braid.  
  
The older girl looked at the bullies with defiance in her eyes. "How dare you pick on my sister and her pet? What did they ever do to you?"  
  
"That's the ugliest cat I've ever seen," one of the bullies jeered, "It's just screaming 'hit me'. And how can I refuse something like that."  
  
"You are an unrefined knave. All of you need to be taught a lesson about picking on little girls and helpless animals. And I'm just the one to do it," the girl said.  
  
Atwight and Gomamon watched in amazement as she took on all three of the bullies. Those boys were six foot tall at the least, while the girl was about five feet. She took off like a rocket, and began speeding around them so they could not pinpoint her position. Then she used the opportunity to strike each of them down one by one.  
  
She yelled, "That was just a small demonstration of my abilities. If I ever catch you trying to hurt my sister or any other kid again, you'll get a lot worse than that."  
  
She helped the second girl up. The child appeared to be crying. "Thanks Robyn, I wouldn't want them hurting Meow-Meow. She's my best friend."  
  
"Don't mention it Tiffany," Robyn replied, "I just can't stand to see anyone hurt an innocent child or animal, especially when they are unable to fight back."  
  
"I think we've just found our new master Gomamon. She certainly seems like a kind soul. Talk to this girl and see if she will help us," Atwight told her companion.  
  
Gomamon stepped out of the shadows. The second Robyn saw her, she was amazed. But the little Digimon just placed the sword at her feet, and motioned for the girl to pick her up.  
  
Robyn asked, "Is this weapon for me? I just love swords, Lens Hunting is a hobby of mine that I do in my spare time, when I'm not watching Tiffany."  
  
She suddenly heard a voice in her mind. "Can you hear me Robyn? If you can, then listen closely. My name is Atwight, one of the Swordians from the ancient war. Your help is greatly needed, the Digital World is in danger of dying, and only a hero can save it. Because of your kindness for animals and children, I have deemed you the perfect candidate to deal with it."  
  
"A Swordian, too cool!" Robyn exclaimed, "I never thought I would actually get to see one of the legendary weapons, let alone wield them in battle. Of course I'll accept your offer. Will this cute little creature be coming with us as well?"  
  
"Sure I will. My name is Gomamon, a water Digimon. Kind of fitting, Swordian of Water and a Digimon of Water," laughed Gomamon.  
  
Robyn told her sister, "Now you be good. I'm going to go on a journey with these people. Tell mother that I will be back when I finish what needs to be done there. And kiss everyone goodbye for me, I don't know how long that will be."  
  
Tiffany ran back to the house with Meow-Meow in her arms. Robyn turned towards the exit to the village, and began to walk. She then journeyed to where the rift between the dimensions were, and entered. Some time later, she discovered the evil trying to consume the world, and defeated it. She then returned home to her family, and never left again.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Atwight looked at Rutee. "So now do you understand? I stayed with Robyn for the rest of her life, and was given as a present to her daughter Britany. When another evil befouled the Digital World, Britany set out to right the wrong, just as her mother had done so long ago. Ever since then, the Katrea family has made it their mission to protect the Digital World from evil Digimon and other forces trying to either subjugate or destroy it. In fact, your mother is now doing the exact same thing."  
  
"Mother is there?!" Rutee exclaimed, "Let's go Atwight. I want to meet my mother, and find out all of the things that I never knew about my past before Kronos came and possessed my father."  
  
"In due time Rutee. First we must go there. Then, we will have to destroy whatever evil is festering in the world. When it is over, I'll help you find your mother. It's a promise," Atwight told her. So they headed back to where Atwight had climbed through the rift between the worlds. Rutee jumped right through the rift, followed by Atwight. They began freefalling, until they at last hit the ground, in the middle of a wasteland.  
  
- - - -  
  
The start of our journey. I'll bring the others in soon. 


	3. New World

New World  
  
Rutee got up after her fall. She looked over at Atwight, who was also brushing off her fur. The Kitsune Digimon had mysteriously acquired a dark blue scarf that was now hanging around her neck.  
  
'What's up with that?', thought the woman, 'She didn't have it when we were in the Real World.' Rutee put her hands on her hips, and felt that her sword was gone. Instead, she had a pair of daggers, hanging from a hilt on each hip. She grasped them, and held them up where she could see them. Their hilts were golden and their blades silver. On the bottom part of the blade, just above the hilt, there was a sapphire water droplet imbedded.  
  
'Now I know I didn't have these,' she mused. Then she put her hand in her pocket, and found that something was in it. Rutee pulled out a small, somewhat rounded box with what appeared to be a screen on it. She also found a small blue tablet with the same water droplet in the center. Rutee inquired, "Hey Atwight, what is this?"  
  
Atwight walked over to her master. "That would be your Crest and your Digivice. The Crest marks you as Digidestined, while the Digivice can be used to find information on the different Digimon you encounter. Used together, you can help me to Digivolve into a more powerful form."  
  
"Where did they come from?" the woman asked, "I know they weren't there before. And what about these weapons, what are they used for?"  
  
"They are more or less used to defend yourself should something evil attack. I can take care of any Digimon we encounter, but Demons are a different story," Atwight replied.  
  
Rutee realized that she was thirsty. Luckily, there was an oasis nearby, so she walked there. When she looked into the water, she realized that her appearance had changed. Granted, she still was a medium height woman with black hair and violet eyes, but her clothes had changed. They still kept the same style that Rutee was used to, but the coloration had been altered. Her shirt, boots, and belt were now a dark blue, and she had two dark blue armbands. No sign could be seen of the leather belts she usually wore wrapped around her clothing, or the shoulder guards and gloves. On the shirt and armbands she could see a Yin-Yang symbol just like Atwight's.  
  
She said, "Well, it looks kind of cool. Besides, why should I fret over what I'm wearing? I've got to go and defeat the evil forces here. And I've got to find my mother, wherever she is."  
  
Atwight smiled. "You have big ambitions Rutee. I understand how you feel. After all, you were only a little girl when your mother left for the Digital World."  
  
Rutee sat down crossed legged on the ground. She looked up at the Digital World's sky. It was nothing like the one back home. The warrior wondered what her mother thought, looking at this thing every day of her life for the last eighteen years.  
  
"Atwight," began Rutee, "Why did she go? What was going wrong here that it required a Guardian? And why did she never come back home?"  
  
"Well, there was a small war between the Virus and Vaccine Digimon in the Southern Region. Your mother came to put it down, but she knew that she probably wouldn't be home for years. It's happened to only a few members of the Katrea family, but it happens every time there is some sort of conflict between two groups. You worried that she might be dead?" inquired Atwight.  
  
Rutee whispered, "Yeah. I really would like to see my mom again. I've got to tell her what's been going on back home, and about father and Emilio. She deserves to know."  
  
Atwight put her paw on Rutee's shoulder. "Don't worry Rutee. We'll find her somehow. She probably wants to see you too, I know how hard it had been for her to leave you behind."  
  
Rutee stood up. She knew that moping would do her no good. What she needed was to find some action. And she wouldn't find it just sitting around all day.  
  
"Atwight," she called, "Let's go. We've got some evil forces to smite and I don't want to wait around here for them to find us. I want to have the element of surprise on my side."  
  
"That's the spirit Rutee. Let us go and find them before the whole world comes crashing down around us, and we are either trapped here or killed," Atwight chimed in.  
  
They began to walk through the desert, looking lost. Rutee had no idea how to leave the wastelands of the Digital World, or even where her enemy might lurk. Atwight was faring no better than her master. After all, even Digimon who have lived here for many years don't venture far from their natural habitat. And Renamon has ever lived in the desert.  
  
Soon, they came to a large cliff. It was a relief to Atwight, who had begun to worry about night overtaking them. So they decided to make camp on top of it, and continue on in the morning.  
  
* * *  
  
The next day, Rutee awoke to an explosion. She looked down and saw a group of Digimon running. There were so many different ones, that she didn't take the time to see what each was. A voice yelled, "So, you must be the ones that I seek. If you two surrender, I won't hurt you at all. But if ya try to fight back, I'm afraid that I'll have to hurt you."  
  
Rutee looked up and saw a devilish little Digimon in front of her. He was almost completely black, except for the white on his face and the yellow smiley face on his stomach. The creature was wearing a red bandanna on his neck, and a pair of red gloves. There were three clawed nails on each foot, and his ears were fat, and curved more like a Demon's horn.  
  
She looked him strait in the eye. "Atwight, let's go! Here we are, our first battle together."  
  
The two Digimon stared each other down. Atwight was determined to fight the stranger to protect her master, even if it meant her death. But before she could start, a voice screamed, "STOP!"  
  
- - - -  
  
Who interrupted Rutee's fight? See it next chapter. Well, if you've been wondering why I keep saying Kitsune, it's Japanese for fox. It was also a mythological fox spirit, much like the Unicorn or Phoenix. 


	4. Wild Boy

Wild Boy  
  
"Berselius, stop," the voice repeated, "This girl is not our enemy. She must be the Guardian spoken of in all of the old legends. Look, she's even got a crest."  
  
A man, not much older than she stepped into view. He had navy blue hair, and green eyes. A black bandanna was tied around his head, and he was wearing a black shirt and pants, held up by a black leather belt. Black armbands were on his arms, and he had on black leather boots. The same smiley face was on 'Berselius's' stomach was on his shirt and armbands. In his hand, he had a large ax, with a black fireball on the blade.  
  
"I'm sorry, he's a little jumpy. Did he hurt you, lovely lady," he asked. There was a soft glow on his face, and she saw that he had the look of someone who lived for romancing ladies. It was a look that Rutee had seen before, and didn't like it one bit  
  
Rutee replied, "I'm fine. But I wouldn't call me 'lovely lady' if I were you. I really don't appreciate men hitting on me. If you keep it up, you'll live to regret it."  
  
The man smiled. "You're a real wild on, aren't you? I'll bet you've never been in love before, and I would like to volunteer to be the one who shows you what it's all about." He put his hands on her arms, and began to pull her closer for a kiss.  
  
Rutee glared at the man. She told him she didn't like that stuff, and he didn't take the hint. So she pulled her right arm free of his hand, and smacked him right on the face. The man fell down as he reeled from her blow. The young warrior smiled, she hadn't expected that to happen. All she had thought would happen was him feeling the sharp pain, and backing off.  
  
"Owww. . .ok, I get the picture," he said, "Maybe I should introduce myself. My name is Lawrence Bishop, and I've lived in the Digital World ever since I was a little boy. This is Berselius, and Impmon. He's the one who found me when I was orphaned, and took me back here to live with him."  
  
"Well, my name is Rutee Katrea, and this is Atwight. She's been my Guardian since I was a small child, at the request of my mother, who is the Guardian of the Digital World," Rutee replied.  
  
Lawrence stated, "The pleasure is all mine. But you don't seem to know your way around here very well. How about I travel with you and help you to navigate it. In all my travels, I've seen most if not all of the world, so I'm the best person to get the job done.  
  
Rutee knew she had practically backed herself in a corner. If she went on her own, she would never be able to find her way across the world, it was just too big. But if she went with Lawrence, she would have to put up with the dashing ladies man. 'If he tries anything, I'm going to smack him with my knives. That would learn him not to mess with me.'  
  
"Ok, you can come along," Rutee told him, "But if I catch you trying anything, I'll kill you faster than you could say 'Digimon'." She flashed him a glare that told him she was serious. "If you insist. Oh well, I guess you can't win 'em all," the man sighed.  
  
Rutee rolled her eyes. Not even Karyl had hit on her that much. And Karyl was always winking at a cute girl or two. She remembered the time when they had been in Darishied, just before the final battle. Before they rented their rooms and went to bed, she had caught him in the bar, trying to charm every lady in the whole establishment. It was hard to believe that he was from a noble family.  
  
Thinking of the final battle, her thoughts turned to Stahn. She remembered sitting in the bar and thinking over her past. He had come to find her, and tried to make her feel better about the whole situation. Just by talking to him, Rutee's confidence had returned, and she had been able to find the will to finish the fight and avenge her murdered family.  
  
She mused, 'He was the only one who ever tried to understand me. Right after my father died, he tried to make me feel better by telling me that he had found his happiness in the end. He didn't have to do that, I could have recovered on my own. But it was a really thoughtful thing to do. I wonder what Country Boy is doing now. Knowing him, he's still asleep.'  
  
Suddenly, she heard Lawrence calling her. "Hey cutie. . .I mean Rutee, c'mon. You wanted me to help guide you through the Digital World, and you're in a hurry."  
  
"Why me?" Rutee wondered, "Why, of all the people who I could have found when I came to this world to guide me, I had to find a dang ladies man."  
  
* * *  
  
They journeyed all day across the desert. By nightfall, they had found another secluded rock formation to sleep among. It would offer protection from any Digimon that might come by, and keep them shaded from the sun when it came up in the morning.  
  
But there was no sleep for Atwight. She looked at the moon for some time, sighing. This mission was getting more complicated all the time, all she'd expected was a battle and Rutee going right back home to Cresta where she was safe.  
  
"Hey Atwight, why you looking down? You worried about the girl?" asked Berselius.  
  
Atwight replied, "Yes, I promised her mother I would protect her. What about you Berselius how long have you been living here? Did you come right after you died in the war?"  
  
Berselius sat next to her. "Yeah. I've been here about a thousand years, and it's pretty boring. Although I did get to see the many battles of the Guardians over the years. I'll admit, she looks just like her ancestors, the old Guardians."  
  
"I've always seen that, ever since she was a child," Atwight said, "We really should tell her who you really are, she'll be interested in knowing another Swordian besides me is here."  
  
"We can wait till the morning. Let your girl sleep," Berselius replied.  
  
- - -  
  
Rutee gets her first ally, and he's a ladies man. Don't worry, I'll bring in Stahn soon, and then we'll get to show the moron up. I might pull a little "Harry Champ vs. Bit Cloud" gag with the two of them (from Zoids: New Century/0 if you don't already know). 


	5. An Old Friend

An Old Friend  
  
Rutee had traveled with Lawrence for nearly a week, and he was beginning to get on her last nerve. All he did was hit on her in his free time, despite all of her warnings to leave her alone. None of her slaps or punches seemed to get through to him, and neither Atwight nor Berselius were faring better. It was getting to the point where she would much rather get lost in the desert than hang with him.  
  
One night, while they were at camp, Rutee awoke with a start. She heard the sound of someone in trouble, and immediately sprang to her feet. Atwight soon followed.  
  
"We better hurry," Rutee stated, "Whoever it is might not be able to hold his own much longer." She began to think about how much like Stahn she sounded, and sighed.  
  
"I agree mistress, we don't want the person to be killed," Atwight replied.  
  
The two ran off to the sound of the battle. There, they found a group of ghost Digimon called Bakemon tormenting a red dragonic Digimon called Guilamon. He had a yellow underbelly, and stood up on his back legs. His eyes were yellow, and he wore a red scarf around his neck. Black lines were on his shoulders, near the end of his arms, and on his legs, with black hazard signs on his forehead, stomach, feet, near the top of his arms, and near the claws on his arms. He looked like he was holding his own pretty good, but he looked like he was tiring fast.  
  
Rutee screamed, "Hey you, pick on someone your own size!" Instantly, the Bakemon turned around to face her and Atwight. She stared them in the eye with a look of defiance.  
  
The Bakemon laughed. "What can a little girl like you do? All you have is that little Rookie. We're a whole group of Champion level Digimon. You will fall shortly."  
  
"I wouldn't count on that," replied Rutee, "I'm sure Atwight can fight you with great ease." With that, she grabbed a small token with the same water symbol found on her crest. The young warrior inserted it into her Digivice.  
  
"Renamon Digivolve to. . .Kyubimon," called out Atwight. She began to glow with a bright light that blinded all there. When it cleared, the Kitsune had changed. She now stood on four legs and had nine tails. Her fur was still yellow, with her stomach, tail ends, the bottom of each leg down onto the foot, and the furry ruff around her neck were white. The white fur on her tails and legs seemed to flow out behind her as if they were flames. On the top of each leg, was a Yin-Yang symbol. A Candy Cane striped collar with a pair of hand holds - - so her partner could ride on her back - - that resembled that of a bow, with the "ribbons" that hung down from the bow rounding her neck so they appeared to be like the tusks on an elephant, and being tipped by golden circles. From the collar there hung diamond shaped white papers.  
  
The lead Bakemon said, "So you are a Champion now. You will still die none the less. Such a shame, you looked quite powerful. Oh, well. . .Dark Claw!"  
  
Atwight narrowly jumped out of the way of the attack. She positioned herself to attack a whole group of Bakemon at once. "Fox Tail Inferno." The magical flames spit out from her tail, and made contact with the leader, and most of his group. Each of the Bakemon was obliterated in an instant. Those who had survived fled before the Kitsune turned her sights towards them.  
  
"Are you alright?" asked Rutee, "You look pretty beat up."  
  
The Guilamon picked himself off the ground. He seemed wounded, but he still would survive. When he saw Rutee standing in front of him, his eyes went wide.  
  
"This must be Fate that has caused us to cross paths again," he whispered.  
  
Rutee asked him, "What do you mean by that? When have we ever met each other?"  
  
Guilamon smiled at her. "I guess you don't recognize me Rutee. That must be Atwight with you, she looks even cuter as a Digimon. Ack, now I'm starting to sound like Clemente. Oh, the horror of it all. That's the last thing we need, two perverted commanders."  
  
Rutee took a good look at the joking Digimon. His voice was vaguely familiar, as Atwight's had been. Suddenly, she recognized exactly who he was.  
  
"Dymlos, is that you?" she inquired.  
  
He replied, "Were you expecting Kronos? I'm sure you wouldn't mind killing him a second time. I certainly would love to knock him around a hundred times for all of the evil acts he has committed." Before Rutee could reply to Dymlos's quip, she heard a man's voice calling from far away. He sounded angry at his Digimon's disappearance. "Dymlos, where are you? I thought you were supposed to meet me at the monolith to the south."  
  
"Got delayed," Dymlos called back, "But come over here, there's someone here who you're going to be really happy to see. And you know what I mean by that."  
  
The man walked up to them. Rutee took one look at him, and let out a gasp. He wore black pants and a red T-shirt. His accessories included red boots and armbands, and a brown belt with a ruby imbedded in the center. On his shirt and armbands, there were black hazard symbols, just like on Dymlos's stomach. He had long blond hair and blue eyes. Instantly, she knew exactly who he was, and the young Guardian began to blush. Their meeting here in this place at this time just had to be Fate's hand guiding Rutee for the umpteenth millionth time.  
  
"Stahn, it's been a long time," Rutee managed to get out.  
  
Stahn replied, "Rutee, how have you been? How did you get here anyway?"  
  
Rutee stared at the ground. "I should be asking you the same thing. But let's not worry about that now. How about you come back to my camp with me, and we can catch up on old times."  
  
- - - -  
  
Here comes Stahn, now the romance can begin. And we can have some slapstick involving Lawrence. 


	6. For Her Heart

For Her Heart  
  
When Rutee, Stahn, Dymlos, and Atwight returned to camp, they found Lawrence and Berselius had fallen asleep. Berselius was mumbling in his sleep about pie and cake, causing Rutee to laugh. Although the Digimon and the ladies man didn't think that Rutee knew who the Impmon was, she had already put two and two together. Somehow, she couldn't picture a Swordian as being food obsessed. Him having a love of battle, yes, but not a love of food.  
  
"Hey Rutee," Stahn inquired, "Who is your new friend? Where did you meet?" He tried to hide the hint of jealousy in his voice, with little luck.  
  
"He's my guide, nothing more. I wouldn't go out with this annoying pest if we were the last two people on earth and we had to marry for the human race to continue," she told him. Rutee certainly didn't want Stahn to get the wrong idea about this, she wanted to marry him some day.  
  
Stahn said, "Let's go to bed and continue on in the morning. I certainly would like it if I had a guide too, so it is advantageous for me to come along."  
  
Rutee smiled. "Then I will see you in the morning. Goodnight Stahn."  
  
* * *  
  
The young Guardian awoke to a bloodcurdling scream the next morning. When she turned around, she saw Lawrence had seen Stahn. The little perv began whacking him in the back with a flyswatter, hoping to wake him up.  
  
"Lawrence!" yelled Rutee, "Leave him alone. What's the matter with you?"  
  
"Is this man trying to take you away from me? I will not allow it. I want to fight him Digimon to Digimon. The winner will get a date with you," he stated.  
  
Rutee exclaimed, "Excuse me! I am not a prize that you can just battle over. Honestly, you can be such a moron some times. Even Country Boy over there is smarter than you."  
  
The Digimon all had awoken and were watching the scene before them. Atwight and Dymlos traded mental signs, while Berselius watched his master with interest. Apparently, he was just waiting for the duel to begin so he could get into a fight.  
  
Lawrence walked over to Rutee. "My dear, you misunderstand me. A girl of your caliber deserves only the best in a man. And what would you consider the best a 'Country Boy' like the man you are with now, or a reared warrior such as myself?"  
  
At that moment, Stahn woke up. He saw Rutee push Lawrence away, as he leaned foreword to kiss her. Fire lit in his eyes as he saw what the other man was doing, and he worried that he might go a little too far against her will. He charged Lawrence and knocked him down.  
  
"So you do want to fight," Lawrence stated, "Let's go. The winner gets a date with the lovely Miss Rutee over here. And you can never hope to beat me in a fight, so I guess you can say bye-bye to your girlfriend. She will be mine before this day is over."  
  
"I'll fight you, but not for the prize of a date. I want to fight you so you'll leave Rutee alone from now on. She's my friend and I won't take anyone trying to hurt her," yelled Stahn.  
  
Rutee found herself mesmerized by his words. He wanted to protect her, knowing very well that she could protect herself. She smiled at his thoughtfulness.  
  
Lawrence called, "Berselius, get yourself over here. We're gonna fight this intruder and his Digimon. Rutee goes to the winner, so you better do it right."  
  
Berselius ran up to his master. "Ready to fight Lawrence. I'll certainly help you win the girl's heart. Don't worry, I won't lose to a guy like this."  
  
"Stahn, let's go," Dymlos said, "We're not going to get beat here."  
  
Rutee was watching the whole thing. She looked at the determination in Stahn's eyes as he looked at Lawrence across the battlefield. Maybe he did care about her. While she looked at the scene before her, the Guardian's mind ran down the track of her memories since the two had met. ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
When they had first met, she had seen him as nothing more than a naïve Country Boy who she could manipulate easily. But as they had spent time together during their travels, Rutee had come to feel a deeper love for him. She didn't know exactly when it had happened, but all she knew was that he was the one that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.  
  
It might have been right after the battle with Lydon that her feelings had taken a complete 180. The young Lens Hunter had confided in him about her reasons for fighting, but was still too embarrassed to tell him the complete truth. Then he had given her the money that she needed to save the orphans out of the kindness of his heart.  
  
When she had learned of the truth about her own past, it had been Stahn who had comforted her over the grief of her brother's death. After her father had died right in front of her, Stahn had again come to her emotional aid, telling her that he must have been happy to be able to tell Rutee the truth before his death, to speak to her as her father once more. She remembered how she had cried before he took the Draconis back to his hometown of Lienna, wishing she could have told him the truth first.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Stahn's cheers roused her from her reverie. He had won the battle against Berselius and Lawrence, and was praising Dymlos's abilities in battle. Not one word was said about Stahn's own part in the battle, but Rutee hadn't expected it. After all, he was just too modest.  
  
"I guess I just am not worthy of Rutee's love. I'll leave her alone from now on. You two better be happy together," Lawrence stated.  
  
Stahn and Rutee both blushed. Each tried to read the other's face to see what it said. Through that, they realized that both of them felt the same way towards each other. The only problem left was how to get over their shyness, and to tell their beloved how they really felt.  
  
- - - -  
  
The whole flyswatter thing was based on something that happened when I was a kid. My best friend, her sister, my sister, and I were hitting my friends' cousin with flyswatter singing a song called "French Fry the Nicky" (I still don't know what it meant). The rest of the battle is based on the whole Harry/Bit rivalry in Zoids: New Century/0 (Harry loved this girl Leena, but she didn't love him. So she made believe that Bit was her boyfriend in order to shut him up, but Harry decided that beating Bit in battle would give him Leena's heart. Of course, he always loses. Big time Bit/Leena fan here). 


	7. Final Warriors

Final Warriors  
  
Later on that day, the three encountered a massive Sandstorm while wandering in the desert. It was so windy out there that Berselius - - as the smallest and lightest of the group - - nearly blew away. And it didn't show any signs of stopping in the near future.  
  
Their luck was in though. Not to long after the storm picked up, they found a group of giant cliffs. And in the side of one of them, was a large cave.  
  
"Let's take shelter in that cave," said Rutee, "We don't want to get lost in this thing."  
  
So they headed for the cave. It seemed like it went back a long way into the dark, and was wide enough for several horses to stand in a row. Perfect for a group of lost travelers, but now Rutee was beginning to wonder what lie deeper in the cave.  
  
"I'm going to go check it out you guys, stay here and wait for me," requested Rutee. With that, she and Atwight began to head into the darkness.  
  
Rutee saw that it was getting darker by the minute, any further in and she might not be able to see even with her catlike vision. So she grabbed some sticks and began to light a fire on the ground. She stuck a long pole into the flames, and came out with a torch.  
  
Now that she had a torch in her hand, Rutee could see what was ahead of her. The cave seemed even deeper than she had originally though, but she continued on anyway. After all, there only seemed to be one tunnel, so as long as she had the torch, nothing would be able to jump out at her, as they'd have to get by the guys at the entrance, or come at her from the front.  
  
But as she went deeper into the cave, a strong wind blew in. Her torch was extinguished instantly and the young warrior was left in the dark. She wasn't afraid though, all she had to do was retrace her steps and make a new one with all of those sticks.  
  
Atwight's growl brought her to attention. Although she couldn't see her loyal friend, she could sense the fear in her voice. And If Atwight - - who had better night vision in this form than Rutee - - was afraid of what she could see, then Rutee had a right to be afraid of what she couldn't see.  
  
Atwight screamed, "Diamond Storm." The air was slightly lit up by the attack, and Rutee could see the target. The creature looked to be a little purple dragon of some sort who had a large horn on top of his head, and some spikes coming out the back. His shoulders had what appeared to be yellow shoulder-pads on them, while his arms each had three yellow stripes running down them. The horn on his head was tipped with yellow, with a yellow piece coming down off it, and two yellow rectangles - - one on each side of his head. A yellow diamond was on his forehead, and he had yellow eyes. On the back of his arms were what appeared to be two wings.  
  
Rutee sweatdropped. 'It's pint sized. How in the world is this thing frightening Atwight? Better be on my guard if there's something there that scares her.'  
  
"This is what bumped into me?!" exclaimed Atwight, "It doesn't look big enough to do us serious harm. Sorry if I hurt you, it's just that our light went out and we were a little jumpy."  
  
"Apology accepted. I just can't believe that the portal between the worlds deposited us in the middle of a cave. My partner, her friend, and his partner are all kind of nervous ourselves. How about we work together to get out of this?" he asked.  
  
Atwight replied, "I don't think it will be a problem. We're always looking for help."  
  
Meanwhile, Rutee was looking at her Digivice to see what was up with the dragon. "Monodramon, Rookie Level. Usually very timid, he is the exact opposite of his Ultimate Level form Cybadramon. His special attacks are Cracking Bite and Beat Knuckle."  
  
"Clemente," called a female voice, "Where are you? Don't leave me here in the dark."  
  
"Philia, Garr, Igtenos, I'm right here. And I've found help," called back the Monodramon.  
  
Although Rutee couldn't see them, she was sure that it was the same Philia and Garr she had traveled with a year ago. She wondered what kind of Digimon Igtenos had become, maybe a powerful Gabumon, or the defensive Armadillomon. So after the four were reunited, she began to lead the way to the front of the cave, using her voice to guide them.  
  
* * *  
  
After they had stepped into the light, she could indeed see it was the same Philia and Garr. Philia was wearing a purple dress with a black stripe on the bottom. Golden bands, like the ones she wore with her priestess garb were on her wrists, with two purple ones further up her arm. She had on a cape with the same clip she wore in the Real World, and high healed shoes. A mace with a lightning bolt on it was in her hands, an on her dress and armbands she had the diamond that was on Clemente's forehead.  
  
Garr, on the other hand, was a little more simply dressed. He had green boots, a green shirt, and green armbands. His pants were black, and he had a silver belt with an emerald in the center. On the center of his shirt and on the bands were a pair of aqua green ovals, stretched extra thin and long. He carried a bow with a cyclone pictured on it, and a quiver was across his back.  
  
Igtenos wasn't anything like she'd pictured him. He was a little rabbit with ears that stretched down to the ground where they divided into three points, and a horn on top of his head. A green bib was on his neck, while the same two stretched ovals found on Garr's shirt were on his ears. The tips of his hands, as well as the bottom of his ears were also the same green color.  
  
Philia exclaimed, "Rutee! Is that you?"  
  
The young Guardian nodded. "I'll explain it to you guys while we walk back. Stahn is waiting there with my new acquaintance. Don't take him too seriously, he's all hot air." Then, they began to walk back to where the gang had made their camp, while Rutee told them her story.  
  
- - - -  
  
Finally got the whole group together. The real adventure starts now. 


	8. Flame of Truth

Flame of Truth  
  
Rutee, Philia, Garr, Clemente and Igtenos finally arrived at the entrance to the cave. There, Lawrence was sitting and trying to play some music on his harp. But he was so bad, that Berselius and Dymlos were howling in pain, and Stahn was covering his ears. To put it in perspective, he was only half a step worse than Karyl at music.  
  
"Lawrence, shut up," she demanded, "We don't need all of the Digimon having problems hearing an enemy attacking us. I don't want these well trained ears to lose their ability to hear the monsters as they foolishly try to sneak up on me, thus leaving me open to ambush."  
  
"Everyone's a critic. No one can appreciate good music nowadays," Lawrence stated. Rutee yelled, "Good music! Good music doesn't involve killing off my eardrums to play it. I bet you don't know what real music sounds like."  
  
Stahn rolled his eyes. 'At least she's not yelling at me this time. But, I've never noticed how cute she looks when she's angry. I guess it's just because I was too busy trying to find a way to get out of whatever form her wrath had taken at that moment.'  
  
"Please don't fight," begged Philia, "We're getting nowhere fast, and you arguing with your friend isn't helping the situation one little bit."  
  
"Philia, just shut up," screamed Rutee. Then she went back to yelling at Lawrence.  
  
Garr reminded her, "You know there's no point in arguing with her when she gets like this. It's best to just let her anger run its natural course. Something else must be upsetting her, and its interfering with her judgement. She's downright scary when she's angry."  
  
Stahn walked up to the trio. "I don't know, I think she's kind of cute. Well anyway, Garr, Philia, when did you get here?" He then realized what he'd said about Rutee, and blushed.  
  
"A little while ago," replied Philia, "We both went through separate portals, and ended up in the same cave together. Isn't that just too weird?"  
  
"Well, I'm glad to have more help. We better set up camp for the night though," Rutee said.  
  
* * *  
  
Later on, the two women were sitting by the fire. It was Philia's guard shift, but Rutee just couldn't get to sleep. She had overheard Stahn's comment about her earlier, and wondered if he truly cared about her. Not just as a friend, but someone he could love for the rest of his life. She then began to wonder why she thought like that.  
  
Philia asked her, "Hey Rutee, what's going on with you? You seemed extra jumpy today. I haven't seen you get that angry since the time we fought Kronos."  
  
Rutee sighed. "My mother is alive. She's been staying in this world as its Guardian for some reason or another. I want to search for her, but we've got to fight the enemy. I'm torn between my heart and my duty. Part of me says I should do what I want to do first, but the other part is intrigued by my family destiny, and wants to see what will unfold in the course of the battle."  
  
"Tell me something Rutee," Philia inquired, "Are you and Stahn going out yet, or is there still time for me to take a crack at winning his heart?" There was a light tone to her voice, so Rutee didn't know if she was joking, or serious about this."  
  
"Why would I be in love with Country Boy over there? Not my business what you do or don't do," Rutee replied. But she immediately began to blush, and thought about pounding Philia if she ever tried to flirt with Stahn. She didn't know herself why she thought that way.  
  
Philia told her, "They say actions speak louder than words. I won't get in your way. Last thing I need is to get in a fight with you as my opponent."  
  
Before Rutee could ask her what she'd meant, a whole hoard of Digimon appeared. All of them were gears with a dark gray inside and the actual gear part in gold. Two silver gears were also present, one on each side of their bodies. On the center gear was a pair of red gear like eyes - - with black on the outside and the actual eye on the inside - - and a mouth.  
  
Rutee took out her Digivice to analyze them. "Hagurumon, Rookie level. It's special attacks are Cog Crusher and Drag. We're in big trouble here. There's so many of them, and only two of us. Best be careful while fighting them."  
  
"Clemente, go for it," exclaimed Philia, "Blast them."  
  
"Atwight, don't let them win. Let's Digivolve," Rutee insisted.  
  
She grabbed her Digivice, and activated her power to Digivolve. Atwight then again became Kyubimon. She ran foreword to join the battle.  
  
But even with both Atwight and Clemente, things were looking grim. After all, only one of them was in Champion level. And as Rutee had said, there were so many of the enemy.  
  
Just then, some Hagurumon knocked Rutee to the ground. Philia shrieked as her friend fell, not even a strongman could knock all of those creatures off of them at once. She ran foreword to help Rutee, but was knocked backwards. Both Atwight and Clemente were in the thick of the fighting, and were unable to go to her at the moment.  
  
Rutee screamed out, "Help me! Stahn!" Immediately she wondered why she had screamed out his name in this situation. Did she really love him?  
  
As if by a miracle, Stahn woke up immediately. He saw the danger to Rutee, and was enraged. "Dymlos! Let's go. Digivolution."  
  
"Guilamon Digivolve to," screamed Dymlos, "Growlmon." He was now much taller, and had a white mowhawk coming down his neck. The sign on his stomach was gone, but now he had a black triangle on each side of his muscular chest, a pair of tiger stripes above his moth on both sides, two rings on his tail, and on the tips of his horns, claws and tail.  
  
"Go and save Rutee," insisted Stahn.  
  
Dymlos replied, "You got it buddy. Pyro Blaster." Instantly, all of the Hagurumon on top of her were defeated, allowing Rutee to get up off the ground.  
  
She walked over to the victorious duo. "Thanks for saving me. I'll make it up to you one day." "No problem," Stahn replied, "It was nothing."  
  
They stared at each other for the longest time. Suddenly, Dymlos got in between them and asked, "What about me? I did all the fighting, don't I get a reward?"  
  
Rutee sighed. 'Another opportunity missed. Oh well, there'll be other times. Eventually, I'll sort out all of my feelings, and be able to tell Stahn all about them."  
  
- - - -  
  
This is part of my problem that I never want the resolution to come. I just want to drag it out for a greater effect. That's why half my ideas never get written down, I don't want the reunion or romance scenes to be shown so soon. 


	9. Great Rescue

Great Rescue  
  
The next day, everyone was heading towards the edge of the desert. Lawrence had assured them that there was a small colony of Monzaemon there, and that they would be able to get some food and other provisions for their journey. Not to mention that they'd finally leave the desert.  
  
Philia was looking foreword to getting out of the blasted heat. She had the same problem back in Cavalese, since she was not as used to traveling as the others, it bothered her much more. The young priestess had fanned herself with practically everything she could find in their packs.  
  
Rutee, on the other hand, had no problems with the heat. Her only problem was the lack of water, which was being combated with canteens filled at an oasis that they'd come across. She certainly didn't want to show any weakness in front of the others, especially Stahn.  
  
'Why does he mean so much to me?' she asked herself, 'I think he feels the same way, so why can't I tell him? Am I scared of losing another loved one, just like Father and Emilio? Do I not want to commit to anything? Does he think like this too?'  
  
She was so lost in her train of thought that she didn't notice the pit that someone had dug in the ground. Rutee stepped right off the edge and fell in. Stahn tried to grab her, but also tumbled in. The same thing happened when Philia tried to rescue Stahn, Garr tried to rescue Philia, and Lawrence tried to rescue Garr. Soon, all five warriors were trapped inside.  
  
"Atwight! Run and get a rope to pull us all up," yelled Rutee.  
  
So Atwight ran off with the other Digimon to Monzaemon village. It was still pretty far away, but the Digimon arrived in about ten minutes. By the time they had arrived, they were out of breath and panting. They took a moment to catch their breath before continuing the search.  
  
Atwight asked, "Excuse me, do you have a rope we could borrow? Our friends have fallen into a hole in the ground, and we need to pull them up."  
  
A Monzaemon shook his head. "No, we don't have one that is long enough. Nor would it work even if we did. That hole out there has something strange about it, anyone who falls in is shielded from being pulled up, and anyone who tries to pull them up will just get sucked in as well. You can't climb it either, some kind of energy pulls you back down if you try to climb."  
  
"How do you get out then?" Dymlos asked, "Is there a hidden tunnel?"  
  
"They say that there must be, cause everyone who falls in eventually leaves. But our friends who fell in never came back, even after vanishing from the hole. So we don't know where this tunnel is, or where they'll end up when they get out," a second Monzaemon told them.  
  
The group of Digimon thanked the Monzaemon for the advice. Then, they raced back to the pit at top speed, hoping to go down and help them find the tunnel. But when they got back, the humans were gone. * * *  
  
Rutee woke up in what appeared to be some sort of cage. It was pretty small, and the young warrior found she couldn't move around much. She looked around, and saw her friends, who were just waking up, trapped in identical encasements.  
  
Rutee whispered, "Stahn, where are we? How did we get here from that pit?"  
  
Stahn shrugged. "I don't know, all I remember was falling asleep while we were down there. I think we all must have gone to sleep, I mean, everyone looks that way."  
  
Suddenly, a figure walked into the room. He was tall and muscular, with brown hair and red eyes. Rutee could feel a dark aura around the man, and it sent a shiver down her spine.  
  
"So, all my captives have woken up," he stated, "Now the fun will truly begin."  
  
"Who are you, and why have you brought us here to this place?" inquired Rutee in a loud voice. The man replied, "My name is of no importance to you. You may just call me Amion. I've brought you here, little Digidestined ones, to have you witness my ultimate scheme to take over the world."  
  
Suddenly, they saw a monstrous spider enter the room, followed by another and another. Rutee took out her Digivice, but the creatures weren't registered in the database. She was then hit with the horrid realization that her enemy was a powerful Summoner of monsters and demons. How could mere Digimon and humans be able to fight of creatures such as that?  
  
Amion laughed. "And that's just the beginning my friends. What you're seeing is just the least powerful of my demons. I will infect this world with even greater terrors than this. Those foolish Digimon won't be able to fight my hordes, and thus will be forced to serve me if they want to live. Same goes for you five, if you want to live, you must give me your unwavering and eternal allegiance. Anyone who doesn't, will become spider food." He walked over to Rutee, waiting for her to break.  
  
"We will never serve you," she screamed, "Do you think I fear death? My father and brother both died right in front of me at my own sword in the war. I've looked death in the face since I was a small child and just learning to fight. I'd never kill myself to get out of something, but I would much rather die than serve the forces of evil. At least then I would be with my family."  
  
"If that's the way you want it, then you will be the first to die," Amion sneered.  
  
Suddenly, the window on the factory broke. In came a humanoid lion with orange skin, a yellow mane, wearing black pants, black belts around his knuckles, and a red beaded necklace, with a mauve charm surrounded by gold hanging from it. He ran foreword, and punched Amion away from the young warrior. Then he broke the five out.  
  
He exclaimed, "Quickly, before he recovers and orders the spiders to give chase!"  
  
Rutee pulled out her Digivice and examined their rescuer. "Leomon, Champion Level. A noble and brave Digimon, he makes it his mission to help those in need. His special attacks are Fist of the Beast King, and Beast Sword." But for some reason, she was sure she'd met this Digimon before, although she hadn't seen a Leomon yet in this world. She decided to ask once they were far enough away to be safe from those spiders.  
  
- - - -  
  
Who is this Leomon who saved everyone? Why does Rutee feel connected to him? Stay tuned for the next episode. 


	10. Lost One

Lost One  
  
About a half-hour later, they finally finished all of their running, and were now setting up a camp. Everyone, even Rutee and Lawrence - - who had the most stamina due to their ways of life - - were exhausted. It was also nighttime, and everyone wanted to just fall asleep until daybreak. They rested at an oasis, where Leomon began to keep watch as everyone slept.  
  
As Rutee tried her best to sleep, she took a look at Leomon. He was determined to be the group lookout all night long, no matter how tired he got. She didn't think that was quite fair, after all, she took her turn as lookout no matter how tired she got.  
  
"Wake me up in two hours so you can get some sleep too," Rutee told him, "You must want to get to sleep too, and I really don't mind taking a turn."  
  
"No, you must sleep. I really don't mind staying up all night, but you need to recover from your ordeal. Don't worry, I won't let anything harm you or your friends while you slumber," he replied. Rutee saw his face, full of concern for her wellbeing. The only other people who had ever shown that look was her allied back in the days of the war, the Headmistress of the orphanage - - especially when she was a little girl - - and her father - - right before he had died. Who was this Digimon, and what reason did he have for being concerned about Rutee Katrea? But she didn't have the energy to ponder this. The young girl curled up near the palm tree in the oasis, and went right to sleep.  
  
Leomon watched her as she slept. With his stern face, it was impossible to read what was going on with him. But it wasn't hard to see that he really cared about what happened to the young travelers in general, Rutee in particular. As he watched her sleeping soundly, a tear rolled down his face.  
  
* * *  
  
The next morning, Rutee woke up bright and early. She could see Leomon still guarding the camp, showing no signs of wavering. But the young Guardian could see that he must be tired, wishing he could just plop down and sleep with the others.  
  
She told him, "I'm up now, if you want to sleep a little bit. Don't worry, I can spot danger if it decides to come here. My senses have always been sharp."  
  
The Leomon yawned. "It's ok, you should go back to sleep. You'll need all the energy you can get for your mission, I'll protect you until you wake again."  
  
"I've slept enough," Rutee protested, "I've never needed much sleep to get by. Besides, we slept a little bit while we were prisoners, Amion had some kind of spell or gas laid on the barriers in his trap hole in order to make the captives fall asleep. You look like you're exhausted in any case."  
  
"I guess I worry too much about you. You've grown into a fine young woman. In fact, you greatly resemble your mother when she was young," he replied  
  
Rutee exclaimed, "My mother! What do you know about my mother? Please, is she still alive? I want to go and see her so I won't have to be alone again."  
  
The Leomon sat down next to the young woman. "She is still alive, and wants to see you again. You know she really misses you. But what makes you think you're all alone? You still have your friends by your side, and your Swordians have been reborn as Digimon. You have Stahn, who loves you dearly, although neither of you can tell each other how they feel. Rutee, you've never been alone, you've just suffered so much so it makes you think that you're alone. But although you've never known your true family, you've always had people around who care for you."  
  
Rutee was amazed at all this Leomon knew about her. Did her mother tell him everything? But if that was the case, how did her mother know about Stahn and the others?  
  
"How do you know all this?" Rutee whispered, "My tormented soul, my deepest secrets, my lonely heart? I haven't seen my mother, so I couldn't tell her any of these things, and we've never met before."  
  
"We have, Rutee. I just wasn't in this form at that time," he replied.  
  
Rutee asked, "Then could you tell me who you are? I know you seem familiar, but I can't quite put my finger on it. You don't have to tell the others, just please tell me who you are."  
  
Leomon looked up at the sky. "Such a curious woman, just like your mother. I always knew you'd become exactly like her one day. Atwight taught you well about how to survive on your own it seems. Your mother and her used to say, 'The more you know, the more likely you are to survive in a fight'. You reflect that sentiment in spades."  
  
"You're dodging my question," noticed Rutee, "Now please, tell me who you really are."  
  
"Ok Rutee, you've convinced me. I didn't want to tell you right away, so you wouldn't begin to worry for me. But you're just too good a negotiator, just like your mother," he replied.  
  
Rutee said, "Go on then. I'm waiting, and I'll wait until Hell freezes over if needed be."  
  
Leomon nodded. "Then, I guess there's no hiding it any longer. Rutee, it's me, your father reborn as a Digimon."  
  
Rutee's eyes went wide. She'd never expected to see him again after the incident in Belcrant. One lone tear slid down her cheek.  
  
"Father!" she exclaimed, "Oh, I've missed you so much." She ran into his big arms, and embraced the Digimon that once had protected her from a great evil when she was a small child.  
  
"I have too. There's no need to cry anymore Rutee, we're together again. When I died, I watched the final battle from the heavens, worrying about you the whole time. I begged to the gods for a way to redeem myself for all I did while under Kronos's control, although they didn't think I needed it. So they sent me here in the form of a Digimon to aid your mother in her quest. When I learned that you had come to this world, I immediately ran to find you, hoping to protect you from the enemy. If anything had happened to you, I'd never be able to forgive myself," Hugo stated.  
  
Rutee looked up at the sky. She knew the enemy wouldn't sit quietly after their escape. But she also knew that if anyone could find a way to win, it was her and her friends. All they needed to do was to find their partners again. Then, they could stand a fighting chance.  
  
- - - -  
  
Just a sweet little reunion. I always wondered what would happen if Rutee saw her father's ghost, and he comforted her over her depression, so I decided to write about him coming back as a Digimon so they could see each other again. Make Rutee a little happier, she never deserved all that she got. 


	11. Guardian Legacy

Guardian Legacy  
  
It took another hour for the others to get up. Stahn was last, and the only reason he did get up was that Rutee pushed him into the spring in the oasis. Everyone was laughing at the sight of him when he came out of the water, everyone except Stahn that is.  
  
"That wasn't funny," he groaned, "I could have drowned while I was asleep."  
  
"I would have gotten you if you didn't wake up. I'm not about to let you die," Rutee insisted. Except for Lawrence, everyone was quite shocked over the new revelation about Leomon. Stahn, for one, had begun saying how happy he was that Rutee was able to reunite with her father after all she had gone through. The young Guardian blushed at his kind words.  
  
Hugo told them, "The Guardian Shrine is not to far off. We should go there first to get situated. Once we talk to Chris and figure out what to do next, we can look for your partners."  
  
So they began to travel towards the shrine. Apparently, no wild Digimon would dare attack the partner of the Guardian of the Digital World, so they had a smooth path ahead. It wasn't long before they arrived at the shrine. Hugo opened the gates, and they went inside.  
  
They traveled through a lush garden full of tropical plants. There were types there that none of them could name. Philia stooped down to smell some of the flowers that she saw. She finally stopped when she looked up for a second and saw Rutee glaring at her for the delay. The thought of meeting her mother was first on her mind, and she didn't want to wait much longer.  
  
Finally, they came to the door. Rutee rushed foreword and pulled it open. Inside was what appeared to be a room made entirely out of diamonds. Some of her old habits came back to her, and dollar signs shone in her eyes. She quickly shook it off, there were more important things to worry about. Hugo stepped foreword. "Chris, where are you? I've got a surprise for you."  
  
At that moment, a woman stepped into the room. She had long black hair that flowed around her white robes like a cape, and ethereal violet eyes that mirrored Rutee's own. A playful smile was across her face as she saw the young Digidestined enter the room.  
  
"Mother?!" exclaimed Rutee, "Is it really you? Are you really the mother I've longed for all of these lonely years?" She stepped foreword so the woman could see her clearly.  
  
"Rutee, it's been so long. Oh how I've missed you," she said.  
  
A tear shone in the young woman's eye as she beheld her mother. On closer inspection she could see that her mother was also crying. Rutee could only imagine how lonely she'd been, all alone in this world for so many years before her father had arrived. She began to think less of all of the ways she had suffered, and more on how her mother must have felt.  
  
Rutee replied, "Me too mother, me too." She ran towards her mother, and embraced her.  
  
Chris smiled. "I knew you would come here eventually. It was worth the long wait in this place. After all, peace only lasts so long here, we've never gone more than one generation without someone or something trying to make a mess, and a Guardian needing to come and clean it up."  
  
"Why did you stay so long?" asked Rutee, "If the danger was gone, why couldn't you come back? We might have been able to prevent the tragedy that occurred."  
  
"I had a mission. I needed to protect the Catalyst for Digivolution. A dark force was after him, and he didn't quite feel safe in our world. When the dark force was vanquished, I prepared to go home. But then I had a dream that foretold a great disaster, and it warned me to stay in the Digital World. I worried that I would cause the disaster, so I listened to the dream," she stated.  
  
Rutee yelled, "Whoever tricked you into staying isn't going to escape my wrath. Must have been Kronos, he's the only one who would want to usher in the destruction of the world. If that (word omitted) wasn't already dead. . .I'd murder him in his sleep."  
  
Chris looked shocked. "Rutee! That's no way to speak about anyone."  
  
"But mom, he's the one that enslaved father," she complained, "The one who sent Emilio to die by forcing him to fight against us. It's his fault that I've suffered so long."  
  
Stahn noticed the tears growing in her eyes. He'd only seen this happen in extreme levels once before, right after her father had died. But whenever she thought about her past her eyes often misted over. The young swordsman found he could understand what she was going through. Heck, he'd do the same thing if he had been forced to kill his grandfather and sister.  
  
"I'll be here for you Rutee. If you ever need a shoulder to cry on about anything, just come and talk to me about it. It feels better if you bring it out into the open," he told her.  
  
Rutee replied, "Thank you Stahn. Don't worry, I'll be alright."  
  
Stahn wiped a tear away from her eyes. "A good cry can help once in awhile. I spent a good portion of last year crying every time I remembered the final battle. And I only lost a close friend. You lost your whole family, so you have even more of a reason to cry. I won't think less of you if you do."  
  
'You've always been there for me,' thought Rutee, 'Every time I've been lost or lonely, you've let me share my emotions with you. That's one of the reasons I've fallen for you.'  
  
Maybe they would have kissed then. It seemed like the perfect time, with Rutee in such a pensive mood, and her emotions flowing from her. But at that moment, the doors of the shrine burst open, and in came all of their Digimon partners. Dymlos chose that instant to run up to Stahn, and tackle him playfully, knocking him to the ground.  
  
"Foiled again I see," stated Atwight.  
  
Rutee blushed fervently. "It's not like that Atwight. He's just my close friend, nothing more." But she was well aware of her blush, and the fact that she wasn't doing quite a good job of hiding her emotions from either her mentor or her mother.  
  
- - - -  
  
Poor Rutee and Stahn, never can get the chance to share their feelings. What kind of plan can they cook up to deal with this enemy? We'll see next time. 


	12. Prophecy

Prophecy  
  
Everyone spent the night at the Guardian Shrine. But Rutee found that she was unable to fall asleep with everything that was on her mind. So she went to the balcony to look at the full moon. When she arrived, she saw Stahn was also standing there.  
  
"Couldn't sleep?" he asked, "Are you worried about the battle ahead? Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you. Amion can try his worst, but I won't allow him to come anywhere near you. He'll have to do it over my dead body covered in the blood from my wounds."  
  
"Now that's a poetic thought," replied Rutee sarcastically. But she also thought of the deeper meaning to his words. HE wanted to protect HER. Not that she needed it, but it was a kind gesture. That was one thing she always admired about Stahn, his kind heart.  
  
Stahn told her, "It'll all be ok in the end. He'll never be able to kill us anyway. We defeated Kronos, so why should this jerk be any different?"  
  
Rutee looked at him. "Just don't get overconfident. I don't want to lose you Stahn."  
  
"And I don't want to lose you Rutee," Stahn said, "Listen, there's something I've got to tell you. I might not get another chance to say it after we go into battle, so I'll tell you now. Rutee, I love you."  
  
Rutee's heart skipped a beat. These were the very words she'd longed for, ever since the war last year. The young woman pinched herself to make sure that she was not dreaming.  
  
"I love you too Stahn. I've just never been able to get my feelings out. You know how I am. But you're right, we must say it now, just in case something happens. Please, be careful," she told him.  
  
The moon shone down on the duo as they stood there on the balcony. As it reflected off of them, Rutee's hair and eyes seemed like gems. She looked almost like a princess. They each walked towards the other, as if they were in a trance, and embraced and kissed.  
  
Suddenly, Amion appeared before them. He had an evil smirk on his face as he looked at the two warriors. The man walked foreword with his hand extended, as if he was casting a spell.  
  
Rutee yelled, "Now you've got me mad! I FINALLY get the chance to tell my true feelings to Stahn, we're FINALLY able to have a romantic moment, and then you butt in. That's it, you're dead." Amion laughed. "I couldn't allow you two to fulfil the ancient prophecy, now could I?"  
  
"What prophecy?" asked Stahn, "Rutee's a Guardian and I'm here to help and protect her in any way that I can. How can that be part of a prophecy?"  
  
"You see, I come from a world that's full of great magic. I escaped into this one after I failed to capture a child prodigy at magic and exploit her talents for my benefits. Here, I learned of a prophecy concerning a sorcerer being defeated by a pair of lovers and their Digimon. You two are the only threats to my plans of domination, so I must eliminate you before your partners arrive," he sneered.  
  
Stahn screamed, "Over my dead body! If you lay one hand on Rutee, you'll die such a painful death that you'll suffer for the next two thousand years." And if Stahn was angry enough to say this, he must really have ticked the two of them off.  
  
Rutee stepped foreword. "And if you harm Stahn in any way, I'll give you such a beating that it'll make what I did to Kronos look like child's play in comparison."  
  
"You're determination is commendable," Amion told them, "But there's no way that you can defeat a mighty sorcerer of my caliber without your little Digimon friends."  
  
"Then it's lucky we were just passing by," Atwight's voice stated. She and Dymlos came up the steps to join their masters in the battle. A fury was in her eyes as she looked at the man who wanted to hurt Rutee. She'd spent so many years watching over the girl, that she'd grown to feeling exactly as a mother would for Rutee. And there's no mother who wouldn't fight to protect her child.  
  
Amion exclaimed, "You still won't be able to win! Do you think I didn't plan for you two to ruin my plans? I've got one last trick up my sleeve to use against you." With that, he threw up his hands, and began to chant a spell. A strong wind began to blow around the group, pulling them up into the air.  
  
Stahn reached out for Rutee's arm. "Rutee, we've got to stick together. Grab hold of my hand. That way, we'll blow in the same direction." He stretched his arm out even further.  
  
Amion noticed their plans, and attempted to kill the duo with an attack spell, or at least separate them. But then, suddenly, Atwight began to Digivolve. She passed Kyubimon right up, and transformed into Taomon. In this form, she was wearing white robes with sleeves that went far past her hands and a tall black hat. A Yin Yang was decorating the clothing, as usual, one on the robes, and a pair on the gray armor pieces that were on her back. The sleeves had red triangles on their borders. The bottom of the robe was divided into three parts, with an oriental art on the front one in yellow. Her pants were purple, and she had on a gray belt. She immediately cast a protective barrier around the four, assuring that they would all stay together. Amion's spell helplessly bounced off, as they went spinning into the night.  
  
* * *  
  
"Where are we?" asked Rutee, "Feels like I was hit with a ton of bricks."  
  
"We're safe, for now. But we don't know how far from the shrine we are, or even how to get back. It looks like we might have to fight him alone again," Atwight warned them.  
  
Rutee told everyone, "There's nothing to worry about, as long as we keep our guard up. Remember, together we're more powerful than the strongest warrior in the whole world. But we can only keep that advantage if we come into battle expecting danger. So don't go thinking that because we're prophesized to win, that we can take it easy."  
  
Stahn mocked a salute. "Yes ma'am. Don't worry about me, I won't let my guard down around him. I've still got to make sure he doesn't hurt you."  
  
Rutee sighed. Stahn was being his usual chivalrous self. It was sweet how he wanted to protect her with his life. And she wouldn't hesitate to do the same thing for him.  
  
- - - -  
  
Sorry for all the shouting in this chapter, emotions got in the way. Well, do you know how long it took me to find a picture to describe Taomon? The site I usually use to get pictures of Digimon hasn't gotten that far (they go in ABC order). I'm dreading what to do with Dymlos, since I don't have a picture of him either. 


	13. Way Back Home

Way Back Home  
  
After Atwight de-Digivolved back to Renomon, they rested the night at the area they fell into. Each person in the group took turns taking watch over the camp, in case Amion attacked. As Stahn took his turn, he looked at Rutee as she slept. She looked so innocent at that time, certainly not like a fierce warrior at all. He smiled as he watched her peacefully dreaming. It strengthened his resolve to protect her no matter what the cost.  
  
Rutee had similar thoughts as she took her watch. Stahn had always made himself out to being a strong chivalrous knight. But here, he looked like no more than a young boy that had snuck out on a war campaign to prove himself. She vowed to protect him in the same manner that he vowed to protect her.  
  
* * *  
  
The next day, the four set out. Rutee wished she could figure out which way they had been blown, so she could find the way to travel in. But she didn't know the constellations of the Digital World, so she hadn't been able to figure out anything from them like she could back home.  
  
"Oh well," she told the others, "We can find our way eventually. All we need to do is find a village and ask for directions to the Guardian Shrine. Maybe we'll even go in the right direction on our first guess, and arrive back there in a short time."  
  
"At least she's optimistic," mumbled Dymlos.  
  
Rutee replied, "I've got to be. If we let our spirits fall by thinking negative, we'll never get home. But if we think positive, we're much more likely to succeed."  
  
Stahn looked bewildered. "Are you sure we can get back from here? What if we were blown past a chasm that is impossible to cross? Then how will we manage?"  
  
"I'm sure there's a way to solve that," Rutee replied, "We can overcome anything by working together as a team. Heck, look what it did to Kronos. Now, what are we waiting for, let's go."  
  
With that, Rutee ran on ahead. Stahn quickly dashed after her, not wanting to get separated from her in case of danger. Atwight and Dymlos traded mental signs, before they too began to follow.  
  
"Those two sure make an interesting pair," commented Dymlos.  
  
Atwight replied, "They sure were meant for one another. I've always said that they would get together one day. Now I'm hoping this ends soon so they can be together at last."  
  
* * *  
  
Not too long after, they found a familiar landmark. But as luck would have it, it was Amion's castle. And there was a whole horde of demons in the front yard, waiting for them to arrive.  
  
Stahn pulled out his sword. "Don't worry Rutee, I won't let those beasts hurt you."  
  
"You don't have to worry about me," she told him, "Worry about you too. If you're gonna protect me, I'll be glad to protect you as well." With that, she grabbed her two knives.  
  
Atwight and Dymlos ran up to them. They weren't about to let their partners die on a foolish endeavor such as this. Both of them ran up to the warriors, combat ready.  
  
"We better Digivolve our partners," Rutee exclaimed. With that, she transformed Atwight into a Taomon, and Stahn made Dymlos a Growlmon.  
  
A demon ordered, "Kill both humans as violently as you are able to. The master doesn't care how you do it, just that it gets done." At those words, they all charged.  
  
Rutee slew a demon as it was heading for Stahn. Never had she known such fury in her whole life. Not even her vengeance against Kronos had even come close to matching this. The demons were intimidated when they saw her, one look in her violent violet eyes meant certain death.  
  
Stahn too was filled with the fury of battle. He watched Rutee's back as she watched his. With this tactic, no enemy could get a hand on either of them. For if they targeted one of the duo, the other half of the pair would make sure that they died in the next instant.  
  
Suddenly, he heard Dymlos cry out. A much larger demon had appeared in the sky. It towered high over all of the others by far, and resembled a giant dragon. The creature was definitely not a Digimon, so it had to be one of Amions creations.  
  
The Champion level Digimon ran to his partner. "Stahn, we've got to kill that creature soon. It's power is unimaginable. No human could take that on. I don't think that I could in this form. If only I could evolve into a more powerful form."  
  
"We can," Stahn told him, "The same way you became this in order to help me save Rutee, you can become stronger to fight off this demon."  
  
Dymlos nodded. He looked Stahn in the eye, and the young man activated his token and crest. Instantly, Dymlos began to glow.  
  
"Growlmon Digivolve to. . .WarGrowlmon," Dymlos called. When the glow cleared, a plate or armor covered the top of his chest and shoulders. Most of it was gray, but the top layer was red. A black hazard sign was on the gray part. His arms were now two long ax blades. What appeared to be speed boosters were coming out of the back of the armor. His face now resembled that of a machine, with the top part being its natural orange color, and the part below the top of the nose being gray with a black chin. His neck was gray in the front and orange in the back. The Digimon looked larger and more menacing in this form to boot.  
  
Dymlos yelled, "Take this foul beast. . .Atomic Blaster." With that, he struck the demon square in the chest. Atwight followed this up with one of her Talisman of Light attacks in order to finish him off.  
  
A menacing laugh echoed through the air. "You're stronger than I thought. But I still will win. I've discovered a lost piece of the prophecy. Without the power in that verse, you will lose." Suddenly, Amion appeared before the warriors, ready for battle.  
  
- - - -  
  
Well, I wrote this chapter while listening to anime MP3s on my playlist. Try typing something exciting out to the tune of "Get Along" from Slayers sometime, it really makes the creative juices flow. "Magical Beat" from Ruin Explorers works too. It may just be my obsession with anime getting the better of me, but I don't care. 


	14. BioFight

Bio-Fight  
  
Amion sneered at the four warriors as he levitated above the ground. He held out his hands, and began to gather magical energy. It was released in the form of a fiery serpent with a dragon's head. The wicked sorcerer called it a Salamander.  
  
"That's unlike any magic I've ever seen!" exclaimed Atwight, "And there's many worlds connected to the Digital World, so I've seen many types besides our own, whenever my mistress found a lost child of some sort who wandered through a portal to this world she always sees what magic he or she knows." "I think we need to think up a plan. We're missing a vital key to the puzzle here, and if we don't find it we'll be killed," Stahn reminded them.  
  
Rutee asked, "What is the key? If we don't know it, how are we going to be able to find it?" Suddenly, Amion released another Salamander on them. Atwight and Dymlos tried to push their masters out of the way, but were too late. All four of them were caught up in the flames.  
  
* * *  
  
A voice echoed through all of their minds as they floated in a black void. "You must fight as one to win this battle. Take with you the secret of the Bio-Merge, and battle this villain. It is the only hope for our world to survive his wrath. Go now, our future is in your hands."  
  
"Did you hear that?" asked Rutee, "What is a Bio-Merge?"  
  
"If you don't know, I certainly don't. After all, I'm just a 'Country Boy'," Stahn replied. Rutee told him, "I only call you that to playfully tease you. I'm really not seriously trying to hurt your feelings when I called you Country Boy. You know things that I don't."  
  
Stahn sighed. "Only useless information involved in my simple life in Lienna."  
  
"That's not true," Rutee stated, "You know about how to be a good friend. You're the most chivalrous man I've ever met, you know the codes of old knights by heart. We can always get by with your heart and my mind working together as one."  
  
Suddenly, a sensation went through the two humans. They pulled out their Digivices and chips. As if they were Digivolving, they placed the chips into the devices. But instead of aiming the lights for their Digimon, they let themselves be covered. Then they turned it on the Digimon.  
  
Rutee and Stahn found themselves begin to merge with their Digimon to form a pair of powerful Mega's. The secret techniques were supposedly passed down since the days when a great evil tried to wipe out both Digital World and one of the human worlds it was connected to. Four children learned its secrets, and merged with their loyal friends to form the Bio- Merge warriors, who did battle with this enemy, and were able to vanquish it with the help of a program.  
  
Rutee and Atwight formed Sakyuamon. They had on a golden breastplate with circular guards around their shoulders that had a yin-yang on the sides. Underneath was a black bodysuit with a white stomach. There was a black belt with a golden fox head for a clip around their waist, and a pair of golden belts on her knees, each with a yin-yang clip. Her gloves were much like the ones Atwight wore as Renamon, with similar high-heeled boots that had golden toes and heels. The golden helmet on their head was like a fox head with what appeared to be golden braids on each side, and an extra pair of ears that resembled the ones on Renamon as well. Their hair was a light purple, almost gray, and it went down past their knees, and ended with an appearance like the tail on a fox. In their hands was a golden staff with a circle on top, with rings inside of the circle and a fox head on top of it.  
  
Stahn and Dymlos became Gallantmon. He was clad in white armor, grieves, and gauntlets, with red heels, a red belt, red shoulder guards, a red headband with dragon ears, red diamonds with black hazard signs on the top of the grieves and gauntlets, golden borders around everything, golden toes, black around the tops of the legs, and a black hazard sign on his chest. He also was wearing a red cape that attached to the shoulder guards.  
  
"It's time, young warriors. Always remember to fight as one, and nothing will be able to defeat you," the voice stated. Just then, they saw the light at the end of the tunnel.  
  
* * *  
  
Amion was laughing like a madman. He had succeeded in destroying the warriors of the prophecy in one fell swoop. Only the power of a Bio-Merge would be able to save them. But neither of them had managed to merge with their companions as of yet.  
  
Suddenly, he saw the portal opening up. His face fell as he saw the two Megas step out of the void. The prophecy had come true at last, all of the players were in place for the final showdown. How could he defy it when it had finally been completed?  
  
Sakyuamon yelled, "Your evil will end here Amion. You will pay for your evil ways with your life." Gallantmon stepped up next to her. "Don't think you can get away this time. No one can harm us when we work together. Now, fight us as it is told in the prophecy."  
  
"I better get out of here, there's no way I can win when the prophecy has been fulfilled," Amion said, "I'll have to get you in another way." He turned to flee, but an unseen force froze him in place.  
  
"Strike now, while I've held him at bay for you," the voice from the void called.  
  
Sakyuamon yelled out, "Amethyst Wind."  
  
Gallantmon called out, "Lightning Joust."  
  
The two attacks merged to form one powerful strike. They struck Amion while he was prone. Instantly, he was destroyed, leaving no trace behind.  
  
- - - -  
  
Who held Amion at bay for Sakyuamon and Gallantmon? Epilogue coming soon. Another chapter where it took me forever to find pictures to use for my descriptions of the characters. The spell Salamander comes from the game Vandal~Hearts, which is where he escaped from, the Vandal~Hearts dimension. Part of a series of stories about the past of the main heroine of that game is where he comes from. 


	15. A Muse's Work is Never Done

A Muse's Work Is Never Done  
  
"Who are you?" demanded Rutee, "Where did you come from? What reason do you have for helping us fight this evil? How did you give us these powers?"  
  
"You forgot Why and When," the voice replied.  
  
Before Rutee could get mad and yell at her for the remark, the voice stepped out of a dimensional portal. The young woman nearly freaked when she saw what it was. It was a humanoid tiger with yellow fur and mahogany stripes, along with feathery silver wings on her back. She had hazel eyes and brown hair, and looked to be about Rutee's age. The woman wore a gray sleeveless shirt and pants with a ruby breastplate and a white cape. Her gloves were white, and her long boots were yellow with metal plates over her knees. The hat on her head was a white berèt-like with a red feather and there was a pink and red raccoon tail in the back.  
  
The tiger stated, "You've done well helping me track that devilish criminal. I've been after him for about a month now, after he slipped out of the VandalHearts World after being blasted by a girl named Eleni Dunbar. Took me some time to realize he was hiding in the Digital World."  
  
A white tiger cub with yellow stripes, gold eyes, and a mane of hair much like a horse's climbed down from her master's shoulder. She was followed by a red fox with six curly tails and a curly lock of hair on top of its head. Rutee took out her Digivice. "Toranmon, Rookie Level. Bubbly like the wind, she is only serious when it comes to fighting. Her special attack is Gale Force." But there was no data on the little red fox, which she figured wasn't even a Digimon.  
  
"My name is Teefa," the tiger woman told them, "And this is Foxy - - my Vulpix - - and my Toranmon is Skysplitter. We're cops who track interdimensional criminals. Guess we can cross Amion off the list of people we've got to go after. Things have been peaceful for awhile now. I'm honored to meet the famous Rutee and Stahn from Tales of Destiny. You two really are all I've heard."  
  
"What do you mean by that?" asked Rutee.  
  
Teefa stated, "I am what you call a Muse. My whole universe consists of several worlds that were made into one larger one. We're all based on other people, but with these cool humanoid forms instead of our usual human ones. My cousin's cousin is actually based on Rutee. Anyway, we serve the woman who created our universe. It's me, my cousin Lufia, her cousins Rutee and Phoebe, and our friends Burianne and Samantha who work to track down these dangerous criminals through dimensions with the help of our Digimon and Pokèmon partners."  
  
Rutee looked at her. "Well, its nice to meet you too. Can we go back to my mom's place now? I want to see if everyone is ok. Poor mom probably had a heart attack after we vanished."  
  
"Sure you can," Teefa said, "I'll take you there in an instant." Suddenly, she transformed into a giant silver bird. Rutee grabbed Skysplitter, Stahn grabbed Foxy, and they got on her back. Teefa then took off, and flew towards the Guardian Shrine.  
  
"Oh Rutee, I was so worried that you had been hurt," exclaimed Chris when she'd seen the two Megas arrive at the shrine. Rutee and Atwight reverted back to themselves so the girl could go and embrace her parents. Stahn and Dymlos did the same thing.  
  
Hugo told them, "You have done well. But who is the tiger girl with you?"  
  
Teefa gave them a smile that could soften a demon's heart. "My name is Teefa, a Muse. I came to track the criminal Amion, and just happened to stop him from killing Rutee and Stahn, and help to unlock their Bio-Merges and to keep El Chickeno from escaping."  
  
"I thank you," Chris whispered, "You saved my daughter's life."  
  
"Don't mention it. Oh, look at the time. I've got to get back to my own world now. My boyfriend and I have dinner reservations," she said. With that, another portal opened, and the girl and her pets went back through to her own dimension.  
  
The next day, it was time for the warriors to return to their own world. The portal back to the Real World was open, and ready for them to enter it. Rutee had tears in her eyes as she said goodbye to her mother and father. But she knew that she could always come back to visit them. She had learned how to open portals for herself before they left so she wouldn't have to get Atwight to do it for her.  
  
Chris said, "I wish you could stay here with us. But I know you have your own life to live back in the Real World. Take care of yourself Rutee."  
  
Hugo smiled at his daughter and her beloved. "Now you and Stahn better stick together. As you said, nothing can defeat you when you work together."  
  
"Philia," whispered Lawrence, "When I come back to the Real World with you, do you want to get together and go on a date sometime."  
  
"Just ignore King Perv. He's just trying to score," Rutee told her.  
  
Philia replied, "No thank you, I'm happy living as a priestess."  
  
Lawrence stomped his foot. "Darn, lost another opportunity."  
  
"Now all of you are free to come back and visit any time," Chris informed them, "My door is always open, and I'll cook a great meal if you ever decide to come."  
  
"We will. When we have our firstborn child, we'll definitely show you," Stahn said.  
  
With that, the five humans and five Digimon stepped through the portal, heading back to their home. Stahn and Rutee held hands as they flew through it. Nothing would keep them apart, even if one of them died, they would be together. That is the strength of their bond, and no one could ever break it.  
  
- - - -  
  
Gave some props to the humorous world I created based on several games. The name Teefa is from the game Arcana, by Hal. She was a princess and a sorceress. And Skysplitter, the Toranmon, is a Digimon originally created by me for a Digimon/Arcana crossover, and she just kind of stuck. Well, here's where I give credit to the people who made this possible. First, to Namco for making ToD. Then, to whoever made Digimon for the plot and the Digimon used (only Toranmon is my own creation, she comes from Tora which is Japanese for Tiger). Next, to Nintendo; the Vulpix, Foxy, is one of the little creatures from their Pokemon series. Of course, to Konami for VandalHearts. And to the Creators of Slayers and Ruin Explorers as I listened to their themes while I wrote the last few chapters. Finally, to my friend Chuck who coined the phase El Chickeno while referring to a villain in one of his computer games. 


End file.
